Skip advert
Advertisement

Bosch develops accelerator pedal that tells you when you need to change gear

Haptic feedback makes pedal vibrate to let you know when to shift

Bosch has developed a new kind of accelerator pedal for cars that vibrates to let you know when to change gear. Called the  'active gas pedal' it's designed to help improve efficiency and will 'push back' to stop you going beyond the most fuel friendly point in its travel.

The pedal aims for the moment where economy and acceleration curves intersect and then issues haptic feedback to let driver's know that they've hit the most efficient position. For those who are unsure exactly what haptic feedback is, most will have experienced it in smartphones which vibrate when you touch the display.

Advertisement - Article continues below

Road sign recognition cameras can be matched up with the pedal and used to notify drivers via their feet when they might be speeding. The system could also notify you when you're about to drive up a one way street.

>Read about BMW's connected vision concept

Three types of feedback can be used; vibration, counterpressure and knocking. Eventually Bosch hopes drivers will become accustomed to the various haptic feedback messages and respond to each instinctively.

The system could of course be used in performance cars to help with shift times, as an added feature above and beyond the F1-style lights you see on Ferrari steering wheels.

The pedal forms part of Bosch's vision for the connected car of the future. A recent trip to the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas revealed just how far car manufacturer's want to take cloud-based car technology. You can read all about it in issue 219 of evo Magazine.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Mercedes-AMG GT 43 2025 review – £100k four-cylinder lacks Affalterbach soul
Mercedes-AMG GT 43
Reviews

Mercedes-AMG GT 43 2025 review – £100k four-cylinder lacks Affalterbach soul

Affalterbach’s flagship GT range now begins with a four-cylinder, lifted straight from the A45 hot hatch. It might have reasonable performance on tap,…
15 Sep 2025
Audi R8 V8 (2007 - 2015) review – the Porsche 911’s equal is a bargain super sports car
Audi R8 V8
Reviews

Audi R8 V8 (2007 - 2015) review – the Porsche 911’s equal is a bargain super sports car

The Audi R8’s launch was perhaps one of the biggest moments in 2000s performance motoring. It’s as sweet today as back then
9 Sep 2025
Driving Audi’s five-cylinder icons – car pictures of the week
Audi Quattro, RS2 and RS3
Features

Driving Audi’s five-cylinder icons – car pictures of the week

In issue 338 of evo, we take three of Audi’s most iconic five-cylinder models on a trip through the French Pyrenees – these are our favourite shots
13 Sep 2025